Chapter 31: The Anomaly Monitoring Center

Lin Xinyan and Shi Ji had different goals. Shi Ji was just aiming to meet the minimum requirements for the practical task, while Lin Xinyan wanted to score as high as possible. With five days left, she had ample time to continue her efforts after filling her stomach.

Before leaving, Lin Xinyan couldn’t help but ask Shi Ji one more time.

“Hey, are you sure you don’t want to do something else?”

Shi Ji was carefree, but he wasn’t a fool. He could sense Lin Xinyan’s good intentions. 

Smiling, he shook his head. “No, you go ahead. Just do your best.”

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Xinyan finally left.

Once Lin Xinyan departed, Shi Ji cleared the table and returned to his work.

The busiest time for the bun shop was early morning. This included preparing the bun filling, kneading the dough, and making the buns. From around four in the morning, the owner, Shi Ji, and the other employees would start their day. By around ten, the number of customers would decrease, allowing them to rest.

The main busy period for the bun shop was from four to ten in the morning, primarily during breakfast hours. There was some business at noon, but by evening, few people came for buns, so the shop would close, allowing the staff to rest and prepare for the next day.

Midday business wasn’t great, so the staff took turns minding the shop. Today, it was Shi Ji and the owner’s turn to rest.

After ten, the owner called Shi Ji over. 

Shi Ji thought there might be a problem, but when the owner spoke, he realized the owner had noticed his hard work and decided to pay him.

Shi Ji hadn’t expected to receive a salary, but he was delighted to accept it. He was overjoyed.

“Alright, Shi Ji, you’ve worked hard these past two days. Take a break today and go explore the city. Young people need to get out and move around, or you’ll wear yourself out.”

The owner’s advice was well-meaning, and Shi Ji took it as an order. He nodded vigorously and left with a grin.

***

Yinshuang City wasn’t a small city. Though not as large as Xiyu, it was still one of the largest cities in the country.

Due to the prevalence of monsters, governments worldwide had established specialized monitoring centers to provide early warnings.

These devices were installed on transportation and extended through the power grid to various locations. As soon as an exotic species entered a monitored area, the Anomaly Monitoring Center would be alerted and issue a warning as quickly as possible.

Yinshuang City had one such Anomaly Monitoring Center.

As the first line of defense in reducing casualties, the importance of these centers was undeniable. 

The center in Yinshuang City was located in the city center and built to withstand significant pressure, making it resilient to most attacks.

On this day, the Yinshuang City Anomaly Monitoring Center was operating as usual. Even without any detected species, the staff remained vigilant. Falling asleep on the job could lead to dismissal.

Every staff member was alert, watching the screens of the supercomputers that monitored Yinshuang City and its surrounding areas.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Suddenly, the entire control center was filled with this sound.

The staff in the control room were shocked. One senior officer even shouted in alarm.

“Damn it, it’s a spirit-level anomaly. Quickly confirm its exact location. Move!”